How much and how to cook chicken

Cooking chicken only at first glance seems simple. To make the dish tasty, satisfying and healthy, you need to know a few culinary tricks about cutting, processing and methods of cooking chicken. It is also important to carefully monitor the process of thermal exposure to the product, because it takes different time to cook a certain part of the carcass.

How to choose high-quality chicken for cooking

Often when shopping, people do not attach importance to the appearance of the chicken. But without an assessment of quality, you can buy an old and even sick chicken. In order to avoid such unpleasant cases, it is important to pay close attention to the following criteria:

• The skin of the chicken should not be sticky, and the meat is pale - such signs indicate "stuffing" with antibiotics.
• Disproportionately small chicken legs in combination with a large brisket or a thin drumstick against a massive thigh are a sure signal indicating the use of hormonal drugs during feeding of the bird.

Cooking quality chicken meat has a white or light pinkish tint, and fine scales should cover fine skin. Age can be checked by ordinary tapping in the sternum. The dense breast says that the chicken is already old, but the meat of a young chicken is springy.

Depending on the purpose of use, choose a specific part of the carcass. Boiled chicken fillet or thighs are added to salads, as these parts are the fattest and have the least bones. For soups and broths, chicken legs and skins are best suited. To make the liquid less caloric, the skin is removed.

Well-cooked chicken at home is obtained only with proper cutting, so the preparatory work before cooking is an important point in the whole culinary process.

How to chop chicken before cooking

It is better to cut the carcass immediately before cooking, as the meat of an adult bird is rarely able to be cooked evenly. The preparatory process consists of several steps:

1. Wash the bird thoroughly, dry it and lay the work surface back up.
2. Make a cut along the ridge line so that the knife rests on the bones.
3. Incise the carcass around the legs.
4. Having reached the area of ​​the femur, twist the legs, simultaneously cutting the meat at the points of attachment. Additional cutting of the legs is done by dividing the legs into the hips and lower legs.
5. Cut the chicken skin with meat on both sides of the brisket so that the knife reaches the thin bones. Cut them and separate from the carcass.
6. Wings cut off, capturing a small layer of sternum. Cut off the tips from the wings, but do not throw them away - they can come in handy for cooking broth.

How much time to cook chicken

Typically, recipes advise boiling chicken until fully cooked, without specifying the exact cooking time.For a novice to determine how many minutes to cook chicken, it turns out to be a very difficult task. So, different parts of the chicken are cooked:

• 1 hour - a whole chicken;
• 15-20 minutes - pitted fillet;
• 30 minutes is required to cook the meat;
• 40 minutes - a young broiler chicken;
• 3 hours - an old bird.

The indicated cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken. Also, the state of meat until the moment of cooking - frozen or fresh. To correctly determine when the bird is ready, gently pierce it with a fork. If the device easily pierces the carcass, and at the same time light juices stand out, the meat can be safely eaten or used in further cooking.

How to boil chicken in a pan

In a pan, you can quickly cook any part of the chicken carcass so that the meat is juicy and tasty. It is necessary to proceed step by step:

1. Clean the chicken, rinse under cold water.
2. Put in a saucepan, add water, salt. Add salt at the rate of 1 tsp. per 1 liter of liquid.
3. Put the pan on medium heat, bring to a boil.
4. Remove the resulting foam. For taste, it is recommended to add fresh herbs, garlic or spices to the chicken, even in cases where it is not prepared for soup.
5. Cooking time in the pan is 30 minutes.

Well-cooked chicken should easily move away from the bones.

How to Make Juicy Chicken Fillet

Cooking boiled chicken fillet is a delicate process. If you “blink” tender meat, it will become rubber. The traditional way of cooking the fillet is in a saucepan for half an hour. You can also use a double boiler or slow cooker. With these kitchen gadgets, it will take more time to cook - up to 40 minutes, but you will not have to make any effort.

The loin contains little fat, so often when cooking it loses its juiciness. To prevent the meat from turning dry, it is important to adhere to the following tips:

1. If the meat is used frozen, it is recommended to wait another 1-2 hours at room temperature after defrosting.
2. Dip the meat in boiling salted water.
3. Let the liquid boil again and turn off the heat.
4. Leave the cap tightly closed for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the fillet from the pan, remove excess water and use as directed.

Properly cooked fillet is suitable for cooking hearty salads, snacks and as main course to the table.

How to cook chicken broth for soup

According to the classic recipe, chicken broth is cooked from home chicken. Such a broth takes longer to prepare, but it is much healthier and tastier than from a purchased product.

To prepare homemade chicken soup, you must follow the instructions.

• Process chicken, remove feathers and fluff. Rinse in running water, dip in a paper towel.
• Place in a saucepan, pour cold water so that the liquid covers the carcass by 2 cm, and immediately add the prepared onions and carrots.
• As the liquid boils, a film forms on the surface, which must be carefully "caught" to make the broth light and transparent. Salt, add spices and herbs.
• Bring water to a boil under a closed lid.
• After 60 minutes, check readiness by piercing with a sharp cutlery. If the chicken inside is pink, cook the meat for another 30 minutes, reducing the heat.
• White color indicates readiness. You can turn off the stove. Throw the onion out of the soup, cover the saucepan with a lid.

Once the rich broth has cooled, you can serve it to the table.

Using Cooking Gadgets

With the help of modern kitchen devices, it is possible to create real culinary masterpieces, with little or no effort in the cooking process. Chicken meat cooked in a slow cooker, a double boiler or even a microwave is very tasty and juicy.

Recipes of delicious homemade boiled chicken dishes

The most famous poultry dish is chicken stock. Delicious rich soup quickly satisfies hunger and even cures colds. To diversify the usual recipe, you can add finely chopped vegetables, aromatic greens and noodles for thickness.

Boiled chicken meat is also ideal for baking - puff envelopes with delicate filling of chicken, potatoes and onions will surely please guests and loved ones. And a magnificent henhouse with chicken, mushrooms and rice, cooked according to a traditional recipe, will become the main decoration of the festive table.

Boiled chicken can be safely consumed with a dietary diet, while not denying yourself a variety of dishes. Baked chicken ciabatta in the Italian manner is a real pleasure of taste without harm to the figure.

Chicken noodle soup with vegetables

• chicken fillet - 300 g;
• noodles - 150 g;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• clean water - 2.5 l;
• salt - 1.5 tsp.

1. Rinse chicken fillet with cold water and place in a saucepan on the stove. When the liquid boils, remove the resulting foam with a slotted spoon or spoon and reduce the heat. Cook for half an hour, periodically checking readiness with a fork.
2. While the chicken is being cooked, prepare other ingredients for the soup. Peel the carrots and grate with medium sized chips. Peel the onion and cut into small squares.
3. Put vegetables in a preheated pan, salt, add part of the broth to the total mass and simmer everything together for 15 minutes under the lid, until the carrots become soft.
4. Remove the finished fillet from the pan and divide into fibers, then place it back until the broth is boiled again.
5. Add stewed vegetables with noodles to the soup. Cook for 20 minutes.
6. A couple of minutes before the readiness to put bay leaves, you can add spices for aroma and taste. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Puff envelopes stuffed with chicken and potatoes

• puff pastry sheets;
• boiled chicken fillet - 300 g;
• boiled potatoes - 2 pcs.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• salt, spices and seasonings to taste.

1. Roll a layer of puff pastry with a rolling pin. Divided into squares.
2. Finely chop the chicken and potatoes, add salt and add spices. Mix thoroughly into a homogeneous mass.
3. Put the filling in the center of the squares, wrap the corners and fix the sides by pinching the seams with your fingers. Place on a baking sheet covered with baking paper or oiled.
4. Grease the surface of the envelopes with egg yolk to form a golden crust.
5. Place in an oven preheated to 200 ° C, bake for 20 minutes.

Lush chicken with boiled chicken, rice and mushrooms

• flour - 2 glasses;
• margarine - 200 g;
• sour cream - 200 g;
• baking powder - 1 tsp;
• yolk - 2 pcs.;
• sugar - 1 tsp;
• salt is a pinch.

• boiled chicken - 600 g;
• rice - 1 cup;
• champignons - 200 g;
• onions - 2 heads;
• hard-boiled eggs - 4 pcs.;
• sour cream - 100 g;
• vegetable oil - for lubricating the frying surface.

1. Cooking the dough. Margarine rub into small chips. Add to flour and mix well. Pour baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir again. Pour in the sour cream with yolks, knead with quick movements, then roll the mass into a ball. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 40 minutes.
2. Cooking the filling. Fry finely chopped onions in a pan until transparent. Fry the champignons in a separate skillet. Boil the rice following the instructions on the package. Cut the eggs into small cubes. Finely chop the chicken. Mix the ingredients together, pour sour cream and mix again.
3. Cut the dough into 2 halves, one of which should be slightly larger.
4. Roll out the smallest part into a circle 0.5 cm thick and line them with the bottom of the pan. Raise the edges.
5. Spread the filling in layers - first rice, then chicken pulp with an egg, and then mushrooms.
6. Cover the henhouse with the second half of the rolled dough and fasten the edges with your fingers.
7. Make a small hole at the top of the cake so that the steam comes out freely.
8. Bake in a preheated oven to 180 ° C for an hour, until golden brown.

Dietary Ciabatta with Boiled Chicken in the Oven

• boiled chicken breast - 600 g;
• Ciabatta bread (sourdough) - 4 slices;
• any hard cheese - 300 g;
• cherry tomatoes - 10 pcs.;
• pesto sauce - 4 tsp;
• salt, spices, herbs - to taste.

1. Roll the breast in spices, sprinkle with herbs and salt. Wrap with foil.
2. Bake in the oven at 180 ° C for 30 minutes.
3. Dry the bread in a frying pan without oil. Withstand each side for 1 minute. To make the slices attractive, you can use a grilled pan.
4. Cheese rubbed with large chips.
5. Cut the tomatoes in neat circles.
6. Slices of ciabatta flavored with pesto sauce.
7. Cut the chicken, put on bread.
8. Cover the sandwiches with tomatoes from above, cover with cheese chips.
9. Place in the oven for 5 minutes, watch until the cheese melts.

Mistresses note

Following simple cooking tips will help you cook delicious chicken and cook a rich transparent broth:

• You can distinguish rooster meat from a young chicken by the size and color of the neck. The cyanotic shade of the thin neck says that the meat is cockerel. The chicken’s neck is thick and white.
• Fat chicken should not be washed with hot water so as not to spoil the taste.
• Delicious boiled chicken is obtained by flavoring meat with salt and spices separately from the broth. Dry ingredients are added to the liquid at the end of cooking.
• To prevent the broth from clouding and not pickling, it is important to avoid strong boiling water during cooking.
• You can achieve a perfectly bright broth by pickling chicken bones in salt water 1.5 hours before cooking. And already broth cooked with salted bones, strain.
• The broth turns out to be more rich if you cook it from small chicken pieces and crushed bones.
• It is not recommended to add liquid during the cooking process, it is better to pour the entire volume of water immediately into the pan.
• Reheating the broth is recommended over low heat with the lid ajar, without boiling. So it will not grow cloudy.
• It is not recommended to use frozen poultry meat for cooking, since useful substances are not stored in it. Chicken is better to take chilled.

How to make tender meat out of stiff chicken

The meat of a country bird after cooking often becomes too stiff. To avoid this, it is necessary to marinate it in kefir with lemon juice for 6 hours before the heat treatment process.When the chicken is infused in the refrigerator, you can safely boil it in one of the attractive ways. Boiled meat in the marinade will remain soft.

You can turn a stiff chicken into a delicate and juicy delicacy using a slow cooker. The chicken stew for 3 hours can be further fried in a dry frying pan until a light golden crust is formed so that the chicken crunches on the outside, but remains soft inside.

The benefits and harms of boiled chicken

Doctors and nutritionists unanimously argue that the inclusion of boiled chicken in the diet brings health benefits. You can eat boiled chicken in virtually unlimited quantities. The main thing is to monitor the quality and freshness of the product.

About the benefits

Chicken meat contains a large amount of animal protein, necessary for good health and maintaining good muscle shape. Being a low-calorie dish, boiled chicken is included in the menu of many diets. Do not be afraid to eat even chicken skin from the wings, as there is little fat on it.

Chicken contains a whole range of useful minerals and substances:

• magnesium;
• iron;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• B vitamins (B₂, AT₆, AT₁2), A, E.

Chicken broth is an excellent prophylactic in the fight against colds and flu. Older people are especially shown to eat boiled chicken, which can prevent diabetes, peptic ulcer disease and stroke, as well as help in the treatment of heart disease.

The largest number of useful trace elements is found in the tender meat of young chickens. Glutamine, which is part of it, helps to improve brain function and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system as a whole.

Can chicken damage health

Although boiled chicken meat is good for the body, you should still be careful about grocery products. Purchased chicken in many ways loses at home because of the high risk of containing antibiotics and hormones in it, which can be eliminated by carefully processing it before cooking. If you can’t buy a real farm chicken, you should approach the cooking of the broth especially scrupulously - bringing the liquid to a boil, it should be drained, and again boil the broth.

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Low calorie cooked poultry meat allows you to use it even on a strict diet. Chicken is easily absorbed by the body without causing discomfort in the stomach. Boiled chicken contains a large amount of protein with a minimum amount of fat, so many athletes include it in their diet. Chicken is also rich in other beneficial substances, vitamins, minerals and trace elements necessary to maintain good health.